Saturday, October 2, 2010

A Pause for Something Political: Bill Maher Knocked it Out of the Park -- Again!

Transcript from Bill Maher's New Rule of last night, October 1, 2010 follows. Unfortunately, I can't get you a link directly to the video. At the end of this transcript, there is a link in the name "Barry Whitehouse." Video courtesy Heather at Video Cafe, and Crooks & Liars.

Maher: Why can't the Democrats get props for what they've achieved? Oh, I know... I know. Obama's black. He's used to being denied credit. And there's nothing wrong with being hard on him. He's the president and it's our job to keep him honest.

But when it comes to voting, when we only have two choices, you've got to grow up and realize there's a big difference between a disappointing friend and a deadly enemy. Of course the Democrats are disappointing. That's what makes them Democrats. If they were any more frustrating they'd be your relatives.

But in this country they are all that stands between you and darkest night. You know why their symbol is the letter "D"? Because it's a grade that means good enough, but just barely.

You know why the Republican symbol is "R"? Because it's the noise a pirate makes when he robs you and feeds you to a shark.

The truth is the Democratic base is still way larger than the Republican base. The reason why they're losing is something called the enthusiasm gap. Yeah. And the voters that Obama and the Democrats have really lost are the women. Women like Velma Hart are just not getting enough love from the president.

So tonight I thought I'd try to make their fantasies come true and speak to you as Barack Obama's alter ego, Barry Whitehouse.

Friday, June 18, 2010

Welcome Home

...



[Click image above to go to full sized image.]


My tutorials presume that you have a working knowledge of Paint Shop Pro. This is just a guideline, and I know not everyone is going to be using the same tubes... so use your imagination as you go! Any similarities between this tut and any others you may see are purely coincidental.

This tutorial was written on June 18, 2010 using Paint Shop Pro, version X.03. It should be okay to do with other versions as well. I just find X.03 more comfortable for me. You may download a free trial of Paint Shop Pro, version X3, from Corel. The release of X3 is new to me, so hopefully Corel hasn't changed things up too much!!

You will also need:

Animation Shop. This is now a pay-for product, through Corel. That changed a while ago. I don't know why!!

A tube of your choice. I'm again using the pin up art of Jessica Dougherty. You must have a license to use her work. You can get that license and artwork from C.I.L.M. I tend to like these forward-leaning, coming-out-of-the-frame type tags. The tube used is a pretty specific posture again, so here is the tube I used! Hope that helps!

The scrap kit used is by the extremely talented Bel Vidotti, from Bel Vidotti Scraps. She put this great kit together a few months back, and it is available exclusively at Galeria Free. The kit is called Oh Lamour. This kit is full-sized, so there are multiple downloads. It's BEAUTIFUL, though, so I hope you don't mind the wait! Thanks, Bel!

Fact is, I d/l this kit and made this tag three months ago. I just went through and did it all again as a refresher course, so I could post the tut!

Supplies: Just the mask, which you can find here. It's another mask by the infamous Becky. Thanks, Becky, wherever you may be!

Filters: Eye Candy 4000 > Gradient Glow, dsb flux > Bright Noise

Font: I used Balmoral LET.

Okay, let us begin!

Open a new canvas, 800 x 700, white.

Open elemento 104. Resize 30%. Copy and paste as a new layer.

Add your tube. Resize, position and drop shadow to your liking.

If you'd like your tube to appear to be "comin' at ya'," here's what you do:

Highlight your frame layer. Grab your magic wand and click inside the frame.

Selections > Modify > Expand by 2. Selections > Invert

Highlight your tube layer. Grab your eraser brush and erase the parts you don't want showing in front of the frame. For my particular purposes, this just meant the heels on the shoes.

Selections > Select None.

Highlight your white background layer.

Open Paper13. Resize to 800 x 700. Copy and paste as a new layer.

Highlight your frame layer. Grab your magic wand and click inside again.

Selections > Modify > Expand by 10. Selections > Invert.

Highlight your paper layer. Hit delete. Selections > Select None.

Again, highlight your white background layer.

Open Paper14. Resize to 800 x 700. Copy and paste as a new layer.

Apply your mask. Delete mask layer, answer "yes" to the pop-up question, and merge group.

I always work on the top layer when arranging the background stuff, so I think it's easier if you now go back to the top layer.

Open elemento 108. Resize 35%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Image > Mirror. Position to the left side of the canvas. See my example for placement reference, if you like. Position above center.

Duplicate this layer. Image > Flip. Merge these two layers down.

Drag this layer down below your solid paper, but above the mask layer.

Apply a small, but dark drop shadow. I used the following:



Back again to the top for working purposes.

Open elemento 095. Resize 13%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Rotate 10° left. Position in the upper right area of your canvas. See my example for placement reference.

Duplicate this layer. Rotate 20° right. Drop shadow both of these layers.

Open elemento 085. Resize 20%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Bring this element up to the right corner of the canvas, so it looks good with the leaves. *chuckle* Drop shadow.

Open elemento 096. Resize 25%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Rotate 20° right. Position with the rest of the group, in the upper right of the canvas. Drop shadow.

You can merge all these layers down for ease of movement, if you like.

Drag these element layers down to below your solid paper layer, but above the doodle layer.

Drop shadow your frame layer.

Back to the top and add your name. I used color #f7f1ee for the fill, #fa7c78 for the stroke, stroke set on 1.5.

I added the following bevel:



Hit okay.

I then added a Gradient Glow of 5 - 25 - 100, color white.

Drop shadow your name to your liking.

Resize your canvas to a size with which you are comfortable.

Add your copyright, license information if applicable, and taggers'/watermark.

If you choose not to animate, you're now done, and you can merge your layers and save!


A N I M A T I O N


Highlight your doodle layer. Duplicate this layer twice, for a total of three doodle layers.

Highlight the bottom doodle layer.

Effects > Plug-ins > dsb flux > Bright Noise, with the following settings:



Hit okay.

Highlight your middle doodle layer.

Apply Bright Noise again, but change the number to 50.

Hit okay.

Highlight your top doodle layer.

Again apply Bright Noise, this time changing the number to 55.

Hit okay.

Close the top two doodle layers.

Edit > Copy Merged.

Open Animation Shop. Right-click on the desktop area and paste as a new animation.

Return to PSP.

Close your bottom layer and open the middle.

Edit > Copy Merged.

Go back to Animation Shop. Edit > Paste > After Current Frame.

Return again to PSP.

Close out the middle doodle layer, and open the top.

Edit > Copy Merged.

Again, back to Animation Shop. Edit > Paste > After Current Frame.

We are done!

Now, View > Animation.

If you like what you see, save as a .gif file, and we are, indeed, done! Thanks for stopping and trying this tut! Would love to see what you've made, if you want to share it, and I hope your weekend will be whatever you want it to be!

.

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Happiness Twinkles

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[Click image above to go to full sized image.]


My tutorials presume that you have a working knowledge of Paint Shop Pro. This is just a guideline, and I know not everyone is going to be using the same tubes... so use your imagination as you go! Any similarities between this tut and any others you may see are purely coincidental.

This tutorial was written on June 17, 2010 using Paint Shop Pro, version X.03. It should be okay to do with other versions as well. I just find X.03 more comfortable for me. You may download a free trial of Paint Shop Pro, version X3, from Corel. The release of X3 is new to me, so hopefully Corel hasn't changed things up too much!!

You will also need:

Animation Shop. This is now a pay-for product, through Corel. That changed a while ago. I don't know why!!

A tube of your choice. I'm using the great artwork of Jamie Kidd. You must have a license to use her work. You can get that license and artwork from C.I.L.M.

The scrap kit used is by Twinky, of Twinky Dezines, and is called Happiness. While waiting for download, be sure to give Twinky lots of love for her freebies!

Template is by Yvette, from Essence Of Creativity,, and can be found there if you scroll down a bit on the right column to where it says "downloads." We're using template 80. Thanks, Yvette!!

Filters: Alien Skin > Xenofex 2 > Constellation, Eye Candy 4000 > Gradient Glow

Font: I used 25.

There's really not much, supply-wise, to this tut. But I did a lot of fiddling with settings 'n' stuff. Okay, let's get started!

Open Template 80. Duplicate template and close the original. Delete the top layer -- the one with the credits.

Resize template, keeping aspect ratio, but making it 800 pixels wide -- all layers.

The order in which I accomplished this one may seem weird to some of you, but this is how I did it!

Open the tube that you're going to place in the square. Copy and paste as a new layer. Resize, position in the square and drop shadow to your taste.

Highlight the "square" layer in the template.

Open Paper4. Copy and paste as a new layer. Move this paper so it covers the entire square.

Highlight the square layer again.

Grab your magic wand and click OUTSIDE the square.

Highlight your tube layer. Hit delete.

Selections > Modify > Contract by 2.

Highlight the paper layer. Hit delete.

Selections > Select none.

Delete the square template layer.

Highlight your tube layer again.

Change the blend mode on this layer to "Burn."






Drop shadow your square paper layer.

Highlight the dotted square layer of the template. Add a small, dark drop shadow. This is what I used:



Hit okay.

Highlight the rectangle layer in the template.

Open Paper3. Copy and paste as a new layer. You could either resize this layer wider, or choose your pick tool



and widen it that way -- so that it covers the rectangle completely.

Highlight the rectangle layer again.

Grab your magic wand and click OUTSIDE the rectangle.

Selections > Modify > Contract by 2.

Highlight your Paper3 layer. Hit delete.

Selections > Select none.

Delete the template rectangle layer, and drop shadow your rectangle paper layer to your taste.

Open the other (fuller?) copy of your tube. Copy and paste as a new layer. Resize, position over the doodle, and drop shadow to your taste.

If you don't want this tube or its drop shadow to just be "sitting there," take these steps:

Grab your lasso tool, set on freehand, with feather set at 15. Draw a "smile" shape at the bottom of your tube.



Hit delete.

Selections > Select none. There!

Highlight your doodle template layer.

Adjust > Hue and Saturation > Colorize, with the following settings:



Hit okay.

Add the same small but dark drop shadow to the doodle as we did with the dots:



Hit okay.

You can choose to keep the text template layer or not. I just left it in.

In order to fit the name at the bottom, I moved my layers up a notch. Click on each layer, one at a time, and hit Ctrl + the up arrow. I left the tube on the left alone -- didn't move that layer up.

Go to the top layer and add your name. I used color #bdc9da for the fill and stroke, stroke set at 2. I drew this one out wider and squished it down a bit while it was still a vector layer. Wanted to make it look "right" in the tag. You may choose not to -- up to you!

I added a Gradient Glow of 5 - 25 - 100, color white.

Drop shadow your name like we did with the dots and the doodle.

Resize your canvas to a size with which you are comfortable. My larger size ended up 600 x 389.

Add your copyright, license information if applicable, and taggers'/watermark.

If you choose not to animate, you're now done, and you can merge your layers and save!


A N I M A T I O N


Highlight the dotted square layer. Duplicate this layer three times, for a total of four dot layers.

Highlight the bottom of the four layers.

Effects > Plug-ins > Alien Skin Xenofex 2 > Constellation, with the following setting:



and the following numbers:



Hit okay.

Highlight the second layer up of your dot layers.

Apply Constellation again, but this time click on "Random Seed."

Hit okay.

Highlight the next layer up.

Again apply Constellation, again clicking on "Random Seed."

Hit okay.

Finally, highlight the top layer of the four.

Apply Constellation one last time, again hitting "Random Seed."

Hit okay.

Close the top three dot layers.

Edit > Copy Merged.

Open Animation Shop. Right-click on the desktop area and paste as a new animation.

Return to PSP.

Close your bottom layer and open the next layer up.

Edit > Copy Merged.

Go back to Animation Shop. Edit > Paste > After Current Frame.

Return again to PSP.

Close out the current layer, and open the next layer up.

Edit > Copy Merged.

Again, back to Animation Shop. Edit > Paste > After Current Frame.

One last time, back to PSP. Close out the open layer, and open the top layer.

Edit > Copy Merged>

Back to Animation Shop and Edit > Paste > After Current Frame.

We are done!

Now, View > Animation.

If you like what you see, save as a .gif file, and we're done! Thanks so much for trying out this tutorial! Would love to have some feedback, now that I'm in the groove again!! I hope you're having a spectacular day!

.

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Ritual

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[Click image above to go to full sized image.]


My tutorials presume that you have a working knowledge of Paint Shop Pro. This is just a guideline, and I know not everyone is going to be using the same tubes... so use your imagination as you go! Any similarities between this tut and any others you may see are purely coincidental.

This tutorial was written on June 16, 2010 using Paint Shop Pro, version X.03. It should be okay to do with other versions as well. I just find X.03 more comfortable for me. You may download a free trial of Paint Shop Pro, version X3, from Corel. The release of X3 is new to me, so hopefully Corel hasn't changed things up too much!!

You will also need:

Animation Shop. This is now a pay-for product, through Corel. That changed a while ago. I don't know why!!

A tube of your choice. I understand that the one I'm using is quite specific, but there are a lot of candles included in this scrap kit, so you could put something together with a bit of imagination!! I'm using the great artwork of Martin Abel. You must have a license to use his work. You can get that license and artwork from C.I.L.M.

The animation in this tutorial relies upon the fact there are flames included in my choice of tube. For instance, the candles in this kit do not include flames. The tube does. You will need the flame to get the effect. If you wish to purchase this tube, you may find it here. Hope that helps!

The scrap kit used was made by "Peace" of Scrapin Designs. This is a FTU kit, called Colors of Martin Abel. As soon as I found this kit, I grabbed it. I've found Martin's tubes some of the most difficult around which to design. Be sure to leave some love for Peace, for making us this fantastic FTU kit!

Supplies: No outside supplies used in this tutorial!

Filters: I used a couple! Alien Skin Eye Candy5 > Impact > Extrude and Eye Candy 4000 > Fire

Font: I used Parisian.

Okay, here we go!

Open a new canvas, 700 x 700, white.

Open the element simply called, "element." If you're using a different tube, there are other elements of the same design, but in differing colors. Copy and paste as a new layer.

Adjust > Brightness and Contrast > Brightness/Contrast, with the following settings:



Hit okay.

Drop shadow this element.

Add your tube. Resize, position, and drop shadow to your taste.

Open candle2. If you're using a different color scheme, there are other candles from which to choose. Resize 45%.

Grab your lasso tool, set on Point-to-Point, and draw a selection around just the body of the candle.



Adjust > Brightness and Contrast > Brightness/Contrast with the same settings as above.

Hit okay.

Now, Adjust > Hue and Saturation > Colorize, with the following settings:



Hit okay.

Copy and paste as a new layer. Position this candle as you'd like it on your canvas. Drop shadow. Now, duplicate, or use others of differing colors if you like, and set them around.

Open bubble3. Resize 35%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position where you'd like it. I gave the bubbles a small but dark drop shadow. Duplicate this layer and position where you'd like. I put three of this bubble around the canvas on differing levels and positions on the canvas.

Open bubble. Resize 35%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Use this in the same way as your other bubbles. Drop shadow, duplicate, and position where you'd like them.

Open boxes4. Resize 65%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position on your canvas where you'd like them. Drop shadow.

This was easiest for me by going back to the top layer:

Open doodle. Resize 160%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position so the part you want will be sticking out behind the first, round element we used. Duplicate this layer. Image > Mirror. Merge these two layers down. Drag this layer down to the bottom (just above the white layer). Drop shadow.

Back to the top and add your name.

I then extruded the name. This isn't necessary, but it was just something I wanted to try. Here are the steps:

Position your name where you'd like it.

Effects > Plug-ins > Alien Skin Eye Candy 5 > Impact > Extrude, with the following settings:



Hit okay.

Drop shadow your name.

Resize your canvas to a size with which you are comfortable.

Add your copyright, license information if applicable, and taggers'/watermark.

If you choose not to animate, you're now done, and you can merge your layers and save!


A N I M A T I O N


The following animation is possible only if you're using a tube with the flame drawn in. For example, the tube I used has flames on its candles. The candles in the kit do not. So if you have flames, let's animate them!

Highlight your tube layer. Zoom in close.

Grab your lasso tool, set on point-to-point, and draw a selection around each of the flames on your candles.



This screen shot only shows three of the four in the tube I used, but I did do this with all of them.

Hit okay.

Duplicate this layer three times, for a total of four tube layers.

Highlight the bottom of the four layers.

Effects > Plug-ins > Eye Candy 4000 > Fire, with the following settings:



Hit okay.

Highlight the second layer up of your group of four.

Apply Fire again, but this time, click on "Random Seed." You can watch the effect in the preview window as you click "Random Seed." So you can click it until you like what you see!

Hit okay.

Highlight the next layer up.

Again apply Fire, again clicking on "Random Seed."

Hit okay.

Finally, highlight the top layer of the four.

Apply Fire one last time, again hitting "Random Seed."

Selections > Select None.

Now, close the top three tube layers.

Edit > Copy Merged.

Open Animation Shop. Right-click on the desktop area and paste as a new animation.

Return to PSP.

Close your bottom layer and open the next layer up.

Edit > Copy Merged.

Go back to Animation Shop. Edit > Paste > After Current Frame.

Return again to PSP.

Close out the current layer, and open the next layer up.

Edit > Copy Merged.

Again, back to Animation Shop. Edit > Paste > After Current Frame.

One last time, back to PSP. Close out the open layer and open the top layer.

Edit > Copy Merged>

Back to Animation Shop and Edit > Paste > After Current Frame.

We are done!

Now, View > Animation.

If you like what you see, save as a .gif file, and we're done! Thanks so much for trying out this tutorial! Have a GREAT rest of your day!

.

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Dougherty's Dolls

...



[Click image above to go to full sized image.]


My tutorials presume that you have a working knowledge of Paint Shop Pro. This is just a guideline, and I know not everyone is going to be using the same tubes... so use your imagination as you go! Any similarities between this tut and any others you may see are purely coincidental.

This tutorial was written on June 15, 2010 using Paint Shop Pro, version X.03. It should be okay to do with other versions as well. I just find X.03 more comfortable for me. You may download a free trial of Paint Shop Pro, version X3, from Corel. The release of X3 is new to me, so hopefully Corel hasn't changed things up too much!!

You will also need:

Animation Shop. This is now a pay-for product, through Corel. That changed a while ago. I don't know why!!

A tube (or two) of your choice. If you're going for the same "vibe," a laying-down posture would work best. I'm using the fantastic artwork of Jessica Dougherty. You must have a license to use her work. You can get that license and artwork from C.I.L.M.

The scrap kit used was made by Vabys of Designs by Vabys. This is a FTU kit, called Gold Rush. This kit is chock full of stuff! I only used a small amount of it! Be sure to leave some love for Vabys, for making us a great FTU kit!

Supplies: Just the mask, which can be found here. I do not know from whom I got this mask. I only know it's really handy! If you know who made this mask, or if it is YOU!, then let me know so that I can give you credit where it's due!!

Filters: Mura's Meister > Copies, dsb flux > Bright Noise

Font: I used ViceroyJF.

Okay, let's try this again!

Open a new canvas, 800 x 700, white.

Open frame (21). Copy and paste as a new layer. Move it down from center a bit.

Open your (first, laying down) tube and add it as a new layer. Resize, position, and drop shadow to your taste.

Highlight the white background layer.

Open paper (11). Resize to 800x700 pixels. Copy and paste as a new layer.

Apply your mask. Delete mask layer, answer "yes" to the pop-up question, and merge group.

I duplicated the mask layer twice, for a total of three mask layers. This is up to you. If you do the duplicates, merge your layers down.

Open element (65). Resize 50%. Copy and paste as a new layer.

Effects > Plug-Ins > Mura's Meister > Copies with the following settings:



Hit okay.

Position this as you like it. I moved mine down and over to the left a bit. Totally up to you! Drag this layer below your frame layer, but above your mask layer. Drop shadow.

Add your second tube here, if you're using one. This layer should be below the first tube layer, but above the frame layer. Resize, position and drop shadow to your liking.

Open paper (15). Copy and paste as a new layer. Drag this layer below the frame layer, but above your circle of flowers layer.

Grab your selection tool, set on rectangle, and draw a selection around the outside of the frame. Like so, if you can see it. It's kinda hidden here. :)



Selections > Invert.

Make sure you're on the paper (15) layer you just added. Hit delete.

Selections > Select None.

Drop shadow your frame layer.

Open element (40). Copy and paste as a new layer. This should be above your newer paper layer, and below the frame layer. Give this a small drop shadow. Lower the opacity of this layer to 65.



Go back to the top layer.

Open element (54). Resize 65%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position as you would like it. Drop shadow.

Back again to the top layer, and add your name. I used color #f6c112 as the fill, black as the stroke. Stroke set at 2.

I added the following bevel:



Hit okay.

Drop shadow your name.

Resize your canvas to a size with which you are comfortable.

Add your copyright, license information if applicable, and taggers'/watermark.

If you choose not to animate, you're now done, and you can merge your layers and save!


A N I M A T I O N


I started this out intending to just animate the wire heart element. When I had it all done, it was barely visible. So I went back and animated the flower oval afterward. So both those layers are animated in my example. You may choose to do that, or not. I am including all the steps for both. You don't have to do it if you don't want to. :)

Highlight your element (40) layer. Duplicate this layer three times, for a total of four element (40) layers.

Now, highlight your element (65) layer. Duplicate *this* layer three times, for a total of four element (65) layers.

Go to the bottom layer of one of those groups of four.

Effects > Plug-ins > dsb flux > Bright Noise, with the following settings:



Hit okay.

Apply this plug-in to the bottom layer of your other element grouping, as well. Hope I'm saying this well enough for you to follow!!

Go to the second layer up of your group of four. Apply Bright Noise again, this time with the setting at 45.

Hit okay, then go to your second grouping of four and apply this effect to the second layer up in that group.

Now, go to the third layer up in that same group.

Apply Bright Noise again, this time with the setting on 50.

Hit okay, and go back to your other grouping of four layers, highlight the third layer up and apply the effect the same way.

Finally, now open the top layer of that grouping. Apply Bright Noise again, this time with the setting on 55.

Hit okay. Find your other group of four layers, and highlight the top layer. Apply Bright Noise with the setting on 55.

Whew!

Now, close the top three layers in both groups of four.

Edit > Copy Merged.

Open Animation Shop. Right-click on the desktop area and paste as a new animation.

Return to PSP.

Close your bottom layers and open the next layers up in each group of four.

Edit > Copy Merged.

Go back to Animation Shop. Edit > Paste > After Current Frame.

Return again to PSP.

Close out the current layers, and open the next layers up, in both groups.

Edit > Copy Merged.

Again, back to Animation Shop. Edit > Paste > After Current Frame.

One last time, back to PSP. Close out the open layers and open the top layers in each group of four.

Edit > Copy Merged>

Back to Animation Shop and Edit > Paste > After Current Frame.

We are done!

Now, View > Animation.

I hope you like what you see (and I hope I explained that well enough)!! If so, save as a .gif file, and we're done! Thanks so much sticking with it!!

.

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Hello, There!!

.

As you can see, I've changed my look. I actually put together a tag the other day. I don't have it all written up as a tutorial yet, but it's coming.

I have to tell you, it's been so long that I have allowed myself to FORGET how to do stuff! I feel so awkward, just trying to put stuff together. That's just WRONG! I need to get back into this. I need my mojo to come home.

Let's hope it happens! I want to thank all of y'all who've still been coming back. I need to apologize to you, too, though. I've been gone THREE months! What's up wit dat??

Until next tut!!! Hang in there, I'm comin' 'round!!

P.S. As it turns out, the first tut is below this post. I started writing it on the 10th, so I guess Blogger goes with the original date! Thanks for stopping by!

kajira


.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Elegance in Black & White

...



[Click image above to go to full sized image.]


My tutorials presume that you have a working knowledge of Paint Shop Pro. This is just a guideline, and I know not everyone is going to be using the same tubes... so use your imagination as you go! Any similarities between this tut and any others you may see are purely coincidental.

This tutorial was written on June 14, 2010 using Paint Shop Pro, version X.03. It should be okay to do with other versions as well. I just find X.03 more comfortable for me. You may download a free trial of Paint Shop Pro, version X3, from Corel. The release of X3 is new to me at this time, so hopefully Corel hasn't changed things up too much!!

You will also need:

Animation Shop. This is now a pay-for product, through Corel. That changed a while ago. I don't know why!!

A tube of your choice. I'm using the fantastic artwork of Jennifer Janesko. You must have a license to use her work. You can get that license and artwork from C.I.L.M.

The scrap kit used was made by Tina of Tina's Magical World. This is a FTU kit, called Eleganzia. This is the 10th kit down on this post. Tina created this to answer a challenge from Creative Misfits. Be sure to share the love with Tina for this great black & white freebie!! Snag some of the others if the mood strikes you! Thanks to Missy and Yvette for making the challenge!

Supplies: Just the mask, which can be found here. The mask is by the wonderful-yet-still-missing Becky!! Thanks go out to Becky for her fabulous contributions to the PSP cause!

Filters: No outside filters are used in this tutorial.

Font: I used KB ChopinScript.

Okay, let's see if I can still drive this thing! LOL! I started out reallllllly slow, because three months off made everything really foreign to me!

Open a new canvas, 700 x 700, white.

Open RopeFrame1. Resize 87%. Copy and paste as a new layer.

Open your tube and add it as a new layer. Resize, position, and drop shadow to your taste.

Highlight your frame layer. Grab your magic wand and click inside the frame. Make sure you get all the little nooks & crannies in this one!! Selections > Invert.

Highlight your tube layer. Grab your eraser brush and erase any portion(s) of your tube that you don't want showing underneath or to the sides of the frame.

Selections > Select None.

Highlight the white background layer.

Open Paper22. Copy and paste as a new layer.

Apply your mask. Delete mask layer, answer "yes" to the pop-up question, and merge group.

Now, you could open, resize and use any of the elements if you wanted. Here's what I did:

Open ElegantFlower1. Resize 70%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position to the left side of the frame. See my example for placement reference. Drop shadow.

Open ElegantFlower2. Resize 75%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Rotate 10° left. Position to the left portion of the frame, on top of the previous flower. Drop shadow.

Open Flower1. Resize 65%. Rotate 20° right. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position on the right bottom corner of the frame. See my example for placement reference, if you like. Drop shadow.

Highlight your mask layer.

Open SeedBeads2. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position to the left center of the canvas. Drop shadow. Duplicate this layer. Image > Mirror. Merge these two layers down.

Open Doodle2. Copy and paste as a new layer. Rotate 35° left. Position above center. See my example for placement reference. Duplicate this layer. Image > Mirror. Merge these two layers down. Drop shadow. Duplicate *this* layer. Image > Flip. Merge those two layers down.

Drop shadow your frame layer.

Go back to the top layer and add your name. I used white as the fill, no stroke.

Drop shadow your name.

Resize your canvas to a size with which you are comfortable.

Add your copyright, license information if applicable, and taggers'/watermark.

If you choose not to animate, you're now done, and you can merge your layers and save!


A N I M A T I O N

On your name layer,

Grab your magic wand and carefully click inside the open areas on your name.

Duplicate your name layer twice, for a total of three name layers.

Highlight your bottom name layer.

Adjust > Add/Remove Noise > Add Noise with the following settings:



Hit okay.

Highlight your middle name layer.

Adjust > Add/Remove Noise > Add Noise, changing the setting to 48.

Hit okay.

Highlight your top name layer.

Adjust > Add/Remove Noise > Add Noise, this time changing your setting to 53.

Hit okay.

Selections > Select None.

Close out your top two name layers, leaving just the bottom name layer open.

Edit > Copy Merged.

Open Animation Shop. Right-click on the desktop area and paste as a new animation.

Return to PSP.

Close your bottom name layer and open the middle layer.

Edit > Copy Merged.

Go back to Animation Shop. Edit > Paste > After Current Frame.

Return again to PSP.

Close out your middle name layer, and open the top layer.

Edit > Copy Merged.

Once more, back to Animation Shop. Edit > Paste > After Current Frame.

View > Animation.

Save as a .gif file, and we're done! Thanks so much for trying my tut!

.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Rainy Day 'Me' Time

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[Click image above to go to full sized image.]


My tutorials presume that you have a working knowledge of Paint Shop Pro. This is just a guideline, and I know not everyone is going to be using the same tubes... so use your imagination as you go! Any similarities between this tut and any others you may see are purely coincidental.

This tutorial was written on March 25, 2010 using Paint Shop Pro, version X.03. It should be okay to do with other versions as well. I just find X.03 more comfortable for me. You may download a free trial of Paint Shop Pro, version X2, from Corel.

You will also need:

Animation Shop. This is now a pay-for product, through Corel. That changed a while ago. I don't know why!!

A tube of your choice. Obviously, a bathing-type tube would work best. Also, if you're stumped for ideas and using the exact things I'm using, a sitting, bathing tube would be best. I'm using the art of Rion Vernon, of Pinuptoons. You must have a license to use his artwork. You can get that license through C.I.L.M.

The scrap kit is by Jen, of Jen's Sweet Temptations. This is a FTU kit, called Rainy Day Driz.


[PLEASE NOTE: This tut came down more to the bath components than it did the scrap kit. I only used one paper from the kit, so it wouldn't be mandatory to get the kit if you didn't want to.]

If you choose to use that kit, be sure to leave Jen some love for the freebie!!

Supplies: Oh, boy. There's a bunch of stuff here. First, to my file of the supplies. Now, for most of the bath components, you'll go to this forum page. There are three sets, I think it is, of bath graphics on this page. The ones I used and to which I will be referring was the third file down. It's vague as to whom to credit for these graphics. The post was made by someone known as "Biggi." I just Googled for bath PSP tubes, and this is what I found. I did *not* have to join to get these files, so I don't think you will, either. They're available as .psd files or .psp files.

As for the contents of my .rar file: There is a bath brush and window. There is also a rain animation. The rain is obviously made by someone named Laura, but which Laura in the world, I don't know, unfortunately. If this is yours... let me know!! PLEASE!! So I may give you proper credit! I don't know the origins of the bath brush nor the window. Also included in the file are two masks. One I've used often, and I don't know from where I got it, either. Finally, the last mask was created by Chelle, or Wee Scots Lass. Thank you for sharing, Chelle! I appreciate your contributions to this community!!

Whew!

Filters: No outside filters used in this tutorial.

Font: I used Impact.

Okay, let me start off by telling (warning) you that this is a very "fiddly" tutorial. Lots of steps. So not much of the scrap kit -- just one sheet of paper -- but lots of parts, and most of the screen shots, of which there are many, are of the fiddling once we get to Animation Shop. I *am* including a *lot* of screen shots for that. I hope I can translate the steps and screen shots into something coherent!! Prior to Animation Shop, there will be "fiddly" stuff with the masks, as well. Tagger beware!! LOL! And thanks for trying it!!

Open your supplies provided and minimize. You could also file it all in the PSP files on your computer for use at a later date. (Just a suggestion: I created a file called "Bath Supplies" in with all my other tubes and things.) Open the rain animation and put where it will be handy once you get to Animation Shop.

Open a new canvas, 800 x 700, white.

The beginning of this tutorial is just choosing which bath elements you want to use and placing them where you'd like them. To tell you the honest truth, I took my lead from the preview shot of the bathroom elements where they were offered for download. If you compare the two, it's very evident. So this is not all from my head! The ambiguous "Biggi," who offered the bath elements for download, actually put this together.

I will be referring to the elements I used. You may have downloaded the first or second files of elements, whereas I am using the third file. This is all up to you!!

From the bath elements file, open 0027. Choose the "Ebene4" layer. Copy and paste as a new layer. Resize 35%. Position where you think you might want it. Use my example (or Biggi's lol) for placement reference. Drop shadow. It would be a good idea for you to label this layer in some way that it will be easy for you to reference as we get further on in this tutorial. There were three layers that I labeled in this way. I just used A, B and C, and this is how I will be referring to them when we get to that spot.

Open 0031. Choose either the "Ebene10" or "Ebene11" (the tree) layer, based upon the coloration of your tag. Copy and paste as a new layer. Resize 30%. Image > Mirror. Place over on the right of your tag, so that it's actually falling off the right side of the canvas. Again, see my example for placement reference. Drop shadow. Label this layer so that it will be easy to find later in the tutorial.

Open 0030. Choose the "Ebene (must mean layer?) 4" layer. Copy and paste as a new layer. Resize 35%. Position on the left side, opposite the tree, so that it's now falling off the left side of the canvas. This will be below center. Drop shadow. Label this layer for ease of finding later.

This would probably be a good time to add your tube. Resize, position and drop shadow to your taste.

Open 0033. Choose the towel layer that again, color-coordinates with your particular tag. Copy and paste as a new layer. Resize 29%. Position where you would like it. See my example for placement reference. Drop shadow.

Okay, we've got our basics. Now, we need to do the "nesting." LOL!! Choose which lotions and potions, etc., you'd like in your bathroom. Here's what I did:

Open the bath brush that was in your supplies file. Copy and paste as a new layer. Resize 65%. Position where you would like it. Drop shadow.

Back to the supplies downloaded from that forum. Open 0039. Pick your color choice in the tall bottles. Copy and paste as a new layer. Resize 7%. Position where you'd like it. Drop shadow.

Back to 0039. Choose your color choice in the squatty-type bottles. Copy and paste as a new layer. Resize 7%. Position where you'd like it. Drop shadow.

Re-open 0031. Pick the towel of your choice. Copy and paste as a new layer. Resize 7%. Position and drop shadow.

Highlight your white background layer.

From the scrap kit (or a color and texture of your making), open Paper 4. Resize to 800x700. Copy and paste as a new layer.

Apply the WSL_Mask83. Delete the mask layer, answer "yes" to the pop-up question and merge group.

At this point, I took my pick tool



.. and dragged the sides and top out to a place I wanted them. This is up to you.

Now, from the supplies file I gave you, open the window1 file. Edit > Copy merged. Paste as a new layer. Position where you think it looks best. If your tag's coloration is differing from mine, then use Adjust > Hue and Saturation > Colorize to get the right color tone. In your layer palette, this layer should be dragged down to just above your mask layer.

Go back to the top layer and add your name. I used color #d4fbfd as the fill, color #84bca6 as the stroke, stroke set on 4.

I added the following bevel:



Hit okay.

Drop shadow your name.

Now is the time we're going back to those layers I said earlier to label for ease of finding!!

Find your "A" layer. Apply your Edge Texture mask. Delete mask layer, answer "yes" to the pop-up question and merge group. Duplicate this layer.

Find your "B" layer. Apply your Edge Texture mask again. Delete mask layer, answer "yes" to the pop-up question and merge group. Duplicate this layer.

Find your "C" layer. Apply your Edge Texture mask one last time. Delete mask layer, answer "yes" to the pop-up question and merge group. Duplicate this layer.

Now! *chuckle*

In your materials palette, close out the fill color and change the stroke color to something dark, so you can see it. Line width is 3.

Select Preset Shape > Rectangle



Draw a square around the window frame, as is depicted below:



Convert this to a raster layer. In your layer palette, drag this below the window and above the mask.

Resize your canvas to a size with which you are comfortable.

Add your copyright, license information if applicable, and taggers'/watermark.

If you choose not to animate, you're now done, and you can merge your layers and save!


A N I M A T I O N

Layers > View > None.

Open the bottom three layers. This should be your white background layer, your mask layer and the preset shape you created. It should look somewhat like so:



Edit > Copy Merged.

Open Animation Shop. Right-click on the desktop area and paste as a new animation.

Duplicate this frame until you have 3 frames. Move the slider at the bottom of this animation to the first frame.

Open your rain animation file from the supplies. We're going to be doing a bunch of tweaking to this file, because it is (A) too big and (B) not dark enough to show up against your background.

Edit > Select All.

File > Export Frames > To Paint Shop Pro.



Go to PSP. We are going to adjust the brightness and contrast on all three layers. So, starting on the bottom layer, Adjust > Brightness and Contrast > Brightness/Contrast with the following settings:



Hit okay.

Highlight your middle layer, and apply the same brightness & contrast. Then your top layer. When done, click the "x" on the top right corner to close out the file. You will see the following:



Answer "no."

Now, there is another question:



Answer "yes." Your frames are now back in Animation Shop, just darker than they were in the beginning.

Animation > Resize Animation



Set this to percentage, 45%.



Hit okay.

Edit > Copy.

Back to the animation that we are building into your finished tag.

Edit > Select All. Edit > Paste > Into Selected Frame.

Hover your mouse until your rain file is centered in the square you created with your preset shape. Release your mouse button.

Now, go back to PSP.

Layers > View > All.

Close out the bottom three layers. This will be the white background, the mask and the preset shape layers.

Edit > Copy merged.

Back to Animation Shop. Right-click on the desktop area and paste as a new animation.

Duplicate this until you have three frames.

Edit > Select All. Edit > Copy.

Back to the tag we're building and Edit > Paste > Into Selected Frame.

Position your window so that it's right over the preset shape you made. Release your mouse button.

WHEW!! What a hassle, right??

View > Animation.

Save as a .gif file, and finally, we're done! I hope with all I've got that I explained this well enough! It's been a long time since I've made a tag this way. I do hope you're happy with your results. Thanks so much for trying my tut!

.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Dreaming of You

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[Click image above to go to full sized image.]


My tutorials presume that you have a working knowledge of Paint Shop Pro. This is just a guideline, and I know not everyone is going to be using the same tubes... so use your imagination as you go! Any similarities between this tut and any others you may see are purely coincidental.

This tutorial was written on March 24, 2010 using Paint Shop Pro, version X.03. It should be okay to do with other versions as well. I just find X.03 more comfortable for me. You may download a free trial of Paint Shop Pro, version X2, from Corel.

You will also need:

Animation Shop. This is now a pay-for product, through Corel. That changed a while ago. I don't know why!!

A tube or tubes of your choice. I'm once again using the great artwork of Elias Chatzoudis. You must have a license to use his work. You can get that license and his art through My PSP Tubes.

The scrap kit used is by Sylvie, of Fantasy Moments. This is a FTU kit, called Sounds of Sorrow. Be sure to leave your love and thanks to Sylvie for sharing her free to use artwork!!

Supplies: Two masks, which you can find here. One of the masks is by my ever-popular Essex Girl. Thank you, once again, for your contributions!! The other mask is by a person named Ivy. Now, I got this years ago from a now-defunct Yahoo! group she ran. I *have* found *an* Ivy online, but she appears to be "dealing" (for lack of a better term) in full-size, paper and digital scrapbooking, rather than tag-making. So I don't think it's the same Ivy. If anyone remembers the Ivy to which I'm referring, and knows where she's gone, please let me know!! Thank you!!

Filters: Alien Skin Xenofex 2 > Constellation

Font: I used Script-P720-Swashes.

Let us begin!

Open your masks in PSP and minimize. You could also file them in the PSP masks files on your computer for use at a later date.

Open a new canvas, 700 x 700, white.

Open Element-6. Resize 75%. Copy and paste as a new layer. This will be off-center, due to the flowers attached. Arrange on your canvas as you like it.

Open your main tube and add it as a new layer. Resize, position, and drop shadow to your taste.

Open Element-73. Resize 50%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Grab your pick tool...



... and squeeze this element in by the sides, until it appears it will "fit" within the confines of your frame.

Drag this layer down below your frame layer.

Highlight your white background layer.

Open Paper-24. Copy and paste as a new layer.

Apply your ivy mask. Delete mask layer, answer "yes" to the pop-up question, and merge group. Resize this mask layer 60%. Make sure it fits behind your frame well.

Again, highlight your white background layer.

Open Paper-12. Copy and paste as a new layer.

Apply your other mask. Delete mask layer, answer "yes" to the pop-up question, and merge group.

Open your second tube. Resize and drop shadow to your liking. Position this tube so that it fits well within the frame. In your layer palette, drag this layer down below the Element-73 layer, but above your ivy mask layer.

Highlight your frame layer.

Grab your magic wand and click inside your frame. Selections > Modify > Expand by 20. Selections > Invert.

Highlight your second tube layer. Hit delete. Selections > Select None.

In your layer palette, change your opacity properties...



... to Luminance Legacy.



Open Element-3. Resize 75%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position so that the flowers will show in the upper right area of your canvas, peeking out behind the frame. In your layer palette, drag this layer below both mask layers. Drop shadow.

Drop shadow your frame layer.

Go back to the top layer and add your name. I used color #e3f1f9 as the fill, color #7998af as the stroke, stroke set on 1.5.

I added the following bevel:



Hit okay.

Drop shadow your name.

Resize your canvas to a size with which you are comfortable.

Add your copyright, license information if applicable, and taggers'/watermark.

If you choose not to animate, you're now done, and you can merge your layers and save!


A N I M A T I O N

Highlight your Element-73 layer. Duplicate this layer three times, for a total of four Element-73 layers.

Highlight your bottom Element-73 layer.

Effects > Plug-ins > Alien Skin Xenofex 2 > Constellation set as so:



.. with these numbers:



Hit okay.

Highlight your second Element-73 layer up. Apply Constellation again, this time hitting "Random Seed."

Hit okay.

Highlight your third Element-73 layer up. Apply Constellation once more, again, hitting "Random Seed."

Hit okay.

Highlight the top Element-73 layer. Apply Constellation one final time, again hitting "Random Seed."

Hit okay.

Close out the top three Element-73 layers.

Edit > Copy Merged.

Open Animation Shop, right-click on the desktop area, and paste as a new animation.

Return to PSP. Close out the bottom Element-73 layer and open the next layer up.

Edit > Copy Merged.

Back to Animation Shop.

Edit > Paste > After Current Frame.

Return again to PSP. Close out the previous Element-73 layer, and open the next layer up.

Edit > Copy Merged.

Return again to Animation Shop.

Edit > Paste > After Current Frame.

Return to PSP one last time. Close out the open Element-73 layer and open the top layer.

Edit > Copy Merged.

Back a final time to Animation Shop.

Edit > Paste > After Current Frame.

Edit > Select All.

Right-click on the top bar of your animation and choose "Frame Properties." Change this number to 23.

View > Animation.

Save as a .gif file, and we're done! I hope you like your results!! Thanks so much for trying my tut, and have a wonderful day!

.

Monday, March 22, 2010

Angelic Cravings

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[Click image above to go to full sized image.]


My tutorials presume that you have a working knowledge of Paint Shop Pro. This is just a guideline, and I know not everyone is going to be using the same tubes... so use your imagination as you go! Any similarities between this tut and any others you may see are purely coincidental.

This tutorial was written on March 22, 2010 using Paint Shop Pro, version X.03. It should be okay to do with other versions as well. I just find X.03 more comfortable for me. You may download a free trial of Paint Shop Pro, version X2, from Corel.

You will also need:

Animation Shop. This is now a pay-for product, through Corel. That changed a while ago. I don't know why!!

A tube of your choice. I'm using the fantastic artwork of Elias Chatzoudis. You must have a license to use his work. You can get that license and artwork from My PSP Tubes.

The scrap kit used was made by Doris of Scraps Dimensions. This is a FTU kit, called Sensitive Woman. Be sure to share the love with Doris for her beautiful freebies!!

Supplies: I've included the mask and the bling file used. They can be found here. The mask is by the wonderful-yet-missing Becky, and the bling was originally made by someone named Angel, I'm thinking, because that's on the files. I don't know who this particular Angel is, so cannot correctly credit her for this bling. If you know her, or you ARE her, please let me know so that I can do so!! I took 11 frames out of the beginning of this bling file. Just saying that so that you know this isn't EXACTLY the file made by Angel.

Filters: No outside filters are used in this tutorial.

Font: I used Dahrlin.

Okay, let's get started. Oh, just a warning: There will be some manipulation of the bling when it comes to the animation part of this tutorial. Nothing earth-shattering-ly hard to do or anything.

Open your mask in PSP and minimize. You could also file it in the PSP mask files on your computer for use at a later date. Open the bling file and put where it will be handy once you get to Animation Shop.

Open a new canvas, 750 x 700, white.

Open Frame 3. Resize 75%. Copy and paste as a new layer.

Open your tube and add it as a new layer. Resize, position, and drop shadow to your taste.

Highlight your frame layer. Grab your magic wand and click inside the frame.

Highlight your tube layer. Grab your eraser brush and erase any portion(s) of your tube that you don't want showing underneath or to the sides of the frame.

Selections > Select None.

Highlight the white background layer.

Open Paper 2. Resize to 750x700 pixels. Copy and paste as a new layer.

Apply your mask. Delete mask layer, answer "yes" to the pop-up question, and merge group.

Now, you could open, resize and use any of the elements if you wanted. Here's what I did:

Open Stone Necklace. Resize 35%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Rotate 23° left. Position in the left bottom corner area of the frame. Drop shadow.

Open Rose 4. Resize 25%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position on the right bottom corner of the frame. See my example for placement reference, if you like. Drop shadow.

Open Rose 3. Resize 25%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Rotate 17° left. Position next to the first rose. Drop shadow.

Open Bow 5. Resize 15%. Copy and paste as a new layer. Position over the roses, as if it were holding them in a bunch. Drop shadow.

Merge down the two rose layers and the bow layer. Duplicate this layer and Image > Mirror.

Open "Nature Mix." Odd label. It's the doves. :) Resize 75%. Copy and paste as a new layer. I chose to Image > Mirror mine. You may not want to -- it's up to you. Position as you'd like them. In your layer palette, this should be dragged to just above the frame layer. Drop shadow.

Drop shadow your frame layer.

Go back to the top layer and add your name. I used color #febce3 as the fill, color #643566 as the stroke, stroke set on 1.5.

I added the following bevel:



Hit okay.

Drop shadow your name.

Resize your canvas to a size with which you are comfortable.

Add your copyright, license information if applicable, and taggers'/watermark.

If you choose not to animate, you're now done, and you can merge your layers and save!


A N I M A T I O N

Layers > View > None.

Open the bottom two layers. This should be your white background layer and your mask layer.

Edit > Copy Merged.

Open Animation Shop. Right-click on the desktop area and paste as a new animation.

Duplicate this frame until you have 10 frames. Move the slider at the bottom of this animation to the first frame.

Open your bling file from the supplies.

Edit > Select All. Edit > Copy.

Before you do the next step, you may want to look at my example for placement reference of this bling.

Return to the animation that we are building and Edit > Paste > Into Selected Frame.

Your bling will be centered vertically. Hover your mouse and move the bling over so that the edge of the bling is on the outer left margin of the colored area of the mask layer. Release your mouse button.

Return to the bling file. Edit > Select All.

Animation > Mirror.

Edit > Copy.

Return to the animation we are building and Edit > Paste > Into Selected Frame.

Again, the bling is centered vertically. Move it so that the edge of the bling is on the outer right edge of the colored area of your mask layer, like we did last time. Release your mouse button.

Return to PSP.

Layers > View > All.

Close out the bottom two layers.

Edit > Copy Merged.

Return to Animation Shop, right-click on the desktop area and paste as a new animation.

Duplicate this layer, for a total of 10 layers.

Move the bottom slider to the first frame.

Edit > Select All. Edit > Copy.

Return to the animation we've built, with the bling file.

Edit > Select All. Edit > Paste > Into Selected Frame.

Hover your mouse until you have your new frames positioned where you like them. Release the mouse button.

View > Animation.

Save as a .gif file, and we're done! Thanks so much for trying my tut!

.
 

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